


glitter dancing on the skin

by derseroyalty



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, College AU, Multi, or i might not, shrug emoji, uhhhh this is all I can think of so far but I'll probs update it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2019-02-13
Packaged: 2019-09-26 22:42:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17150450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/derseroyalty/pseuds/derseroyalty
Summary: Michael’s first impression of Gavin Free is that he tends to trip on any surface possible, drinks an obscene amount of Red Bull and coffee, and carries his fucking cat around in his backpack.Maybe his second year of college won’t be that bad after all.





	1. of cats and first meetings

**Author's Note:**

> sup
> 
> figured my first story in the RT ao3 should be posted on christmas for some poetic shit but, y'know, w/e
> 
> ya girl's trying to go to RTX 2019 so here's hoping that I can :^)

Michael’s already ready to take a nap when he moves his stuff into his dorm room. 

His roommate isn’t there yet; the empty side of the room proves it, and Michael can only roll his eyes as he sets his suitcases down and looks back at his parents. His mom and dad are pretty used to this, since Michael’s the youngest of his siblings, so they just give him quick hugs and leave.

“Answer your phone at some point!” His mom shouts as the door slams behind them. “And at least eat twice a day!”

“Will do!” Michael hollers back. It’s a common phrase in his household and he knows his mom means well. 

Well. Now he has a whole week of doing jack shit before classes start, and he’s not quite sure what to do. 

On perfect, perfect cue, his phone buzzes, and Michael’s grinning as he leans back on his mattress to answer his one fucking friend in college. 

bro youre never gonna guess whats going on this year 

Enlighten me, asshole. Make my fucking day. 

YA BOY DOESNT HAVE A ROOMMATE 

No shit?! Why not? 

idk lmao, the guy emailed me a few days ago and said he dropped out and the housing department legit forgot about it so its just me in here 

Michael thinks about the possibilities of staying in Ray’s dorm the whole year. Would his roommate mind? The guy hadn’t even shown up yet, so…

There’s a muffled yelp as something crashes into Michael’s door. The Jersey boy looks up from where he’s lying on the bed and sighs, grabbing his room key to make sure he doesn’t get locked out. 

When he yanks open the door, he comes face-to-face (well, he has to look down at the guy kneeling on the floor, but the sentiment is still there) with his probable roommate.

The guy is short and stocky, with scruffy brown hair. He’s struggling with his duffle bags and muttering curses under his breath. A suitcase sits tipped over on the carpeted hallway. 

_Son of a bitch,_ Michael whispers in his head. _Freshman._

Michael clears his throat and the guy’s head snaps up. “Oh! Shit, sorry. Are you Michael Jones?”

“In the flesh,” Michael sighs. “And I guess you’re my roommate?”

“Uh,” the guy stammers. “Yeah. That’s me.” He drops his multitude of bags and sticks out a hand. “Jeremy Dooley. I know you’re a sophomore, and fishies have a bad rep of being annoying, so I promise I’ll try and stay out of your way.”

Michael raises his phone and shrugs. “Doesn’t matter, since I’ve got a friend to meet up with, so I might see you later. Peace.”

He steps past his roommate and sets off for Ray’s dorm, ignoring the dejected sigh behind him. Michael honestly doesn’t care; he has much more important issues to deal with.

* * *

Ray immediately bursts out laughing when Michael side-steps a launch pad and goes straight into the murky water below it. “Dude, are you shitting me? This game was so fucking easy! You aced it years ago!”

“Key phrase: years ago,” Michael snaps, growling as GLaDOS taunts him over the intercom. “It’s been a long fucking time since I’ve played this.”

Ray shakes his head mournfully from the top of his residence hall. He lived in the building next to Michael’s, but his had twelve floors instead of the usual six. It was definitely more prone to fire alarms but Ray honestly slept through most of them. 

“So your roommate’s last name is Dooley?” Ray asks incredulously from where he’s perched on his bed. “I feel sorry for the guy.”

“Because he’s a fucking freshman, or because he has me as a roommate?” Michael replies as he moves onto the next level. 

Ray shrugs. “Bit of both, really.”

“Fuck this.” Michael does his best to set the controller down gently and places it on top of Ray’s extremely elaborate gaming system he’s already managed to set up since he got there. “Let’s go eat, I heard they’re opening up a pasta place in the dining hall.”

Ray’s eyes light up at the idea of food and he slides off his bed, grabbing his student ID and key. “Dude, fuck yes!”

Michael opens Ray’s door and promptly watches some dude eat shit while heading down the hall. It looks like he’s tripped on nothing but air, and the guy yelps while simultaneously dropping a weird ass bag with a bubble in it, a thermos, and a can of Red Bull.

There’s a very aggravated _meow!_ from inside the backpack and the guy winces. “Bugger me, sorry Smee.” He apologizes to the bubble.

Michael’s still standing in the doorway, shocked at the entire situation, and Ray sighs heavily from behind him. “Are you gonna fucking move?”

“Yeah, just, hold on.” Michael babbles as he heads on over to the guy, who’s already getting up. “Dude, what the fuck. You good?”

The tan guy looks at him with bright emerald eyes and a big ass nose, brightening up. “Yeah! Just tripped as per usual. Tried to grab my key and I failed miserably.”

There’s a pause as the guy looks at the backpack, and then he reaches over to grab it and hands it to Michael. “Can you please hold Smee for me real quick? I gotta grab some stuff, just please don’t drop him!”

“Like you just did?” Michael asks dryly, and tries not to smile as the guy squawks. 

“I’ll meet you downstairs, Michael!” Ray hollers as he waves and leaves. Michael watches the usual purple hoodie and gray beanie vanish and then he actually takes a look at the backpack. 

He almost drops it in surprise as he stares at a light gray cat inside the bubble; a darker shade of gray coats its paws, tail, ears, and nose. Blue eyes blink back at him and _why the fuck does this guy have his cat in a backpack._

“Thanks, Michael!” The guy says happily as he takes the cat back. “Really appreciated it. I don’t want to keep you waiting for your friend!”

Michael ignores the way this guy’s British accent managed to mangle his name and instead focuses on the actual issue; like, y’know, the cat in the backpack. “Why do you have a cat in your backpack.”

The guy unzips it and takes out the cat, cooing gently at it. “Because he’s my companion! Don’t worry, Smee genuinely likes the bubble. I make sure he goes bathroom a bunch and I keep him fed and hydrated. When I’m here in the dorm, he roams around!”

“How the fuck did you manage to get him past housing?” Michael asks, doing his best to resist the urge to pet the cat. “They don’t allow animals in the dorms.”

The guy giggles and gestures to the room. “I’ve got a friend off-campus who looks after my other two cats, and I hold onto Smee for comfort. Her best friend is my roomie but since he’s a senior, he spends his time between here and that house.” 

“You’re a senior?” Michael asks skeptically. “No offence, but you don’t look like one.”

“Oh, no!” The guy flaps his hand after he sets Smee on his bed. “I’m a sophomore. Oh, bollocks, I never gave you my name!”

Suddenly Michael has another hand in front of him and the guy’s smiling with an easy-going grin and bright eyes. “Gavin Free. Thanks for helping me out, boi.”

“Boi?” Michael mumbles as he shakes Gavin’s hand. “Uh, Michael Jones. I don’t live here, I live in the building over. My friend Ray lives a few doors down from you.”

“Then I hope I get to see you around again!” Gavin says happily. “Here’s my number with my Snapchat; whichever one you use, really! I’m always up for a convo.”

Michael watches as Gavin pops open his thermos and the Red Bull can. As Gavin pours the entire energy drink into his coffee, he grabs a Post-It note and writes both number and username down. When Michael takes the piece of paper, he watches mildly horrified and impressed as Gavin downs half his drink in one gulp without flinching. 

“Habit,” Gavin says upon swallowing the rest of his drink. “Got a bad tendency to stay up late. Anyways, hit me up later! Have a good afternoon Michael.” 

Michael waves and heads out of Gavin’s dorm, still thinking about this entire situation. It’s been a very strange day for him. At least this is more fun than his first proper day of college, where he had his parents cry over him and he just took a nap the whole day. 

Maybe he’ll actually hit up Gavin later. Couldn’t hurt.

* * *

“Geoff!” Griffon shouts as she closes the door behind her. “You fucker, you left Gavin at the dorms!”

Geoff pops his head out from the kitchen and tries not to laugh at his roommate, who’s opening up the backpack to let Smee out. “He’s fine!”

Griffon’s glare deepens. “Geoff Ramsey. You have a car. He doesn’t. That’s your rent for staying here; you take care of Gavin, and everything else gets taken care of. Just because we’re both adults doesn’t mean you can ditch him.”

“Thanks, Mom.” Gavin snickers as he steps forward to pet Ziggy. His newest kitten meows quietly and Gavin coos over her, picking her up and walking over to the couch. 

Griffon shakes her head mournfully. When Geoff Ramsey had shown up on her doorstep with some idiotic British kid, she immediately took him in and laid down her ground rules. 

1\. Griffon owned the house off-campus. Any parties that were inevitably going to happen were under her jurisdiction. 

2\. Geoff Ramsey was allowed to stay in her house as long as he needed, since he had an official dorm on campus and sometimes needed a break away from it. Gavin also fell under his care since his family lived on the other side of the planet. 

3\. Gavin Free, Geoff’s roommate, was two years younger and owned three cats. In exchange for Griffon taking care of the cats, Gavin was to focus on his studies in uni and make friends, since he wasn’t really the best at it. 

They were pretty simple enough and it was how Griffon ended up with two babies in her house. She didn’t go to university, she chose to enter the workforce and kept rent that way. 

“Well, on the bright side, Griffon, I think I made a friend today!” Gavin says happily as he goes into the kitchen with Geoff to make some food. There’s squawking noises and a yelp from Gav as Geoff shrieks, “YOU MADE A FRIEND!”

“I think I did!” Gavin cries out. “Ow! Stop being a twat!” 

Griffon heads on over and watches as Geoff keeps Gavin in a tight headlock, ruffling his hair. The senior’s eyes are lit up with joy as he cackles loudly. “What’s their name! I gotta know so I can go interrogate them!” 

“I only got his name!” Gavin struggles to break free. At some point, he sighs and resolutely gives up. “Bollocks. His name’s Michael Jones. His friend lives a few doors down and I gave him my number.” 

Even Griffon whistles at that. “You’ve got game, Gavin Free. You gonna hang out with him?”

Gavin’s shoulders slump and Geoff finally releases him. “I didn’t get his number. I have to wait for him to text first.”

_SQUAWK, SQUAWK, SQUAWK—_

“I hate your fucking phone noise so much,” Geoff sighs with the strength of several men. “Will you ever change it one day?”

“Maybe,” Gavin replies as he stares down at the brand new chat in his messages. No fucking way. It had been a few hours since he met Michael, he wouldn’t have, he did?

Hey. This is Michael. 

That might be obvious, actually. Shit. Sorry. Uh, my friend and I are gonna play video games all night and he said we should go eat a shitload of pizza from some buffet near campus and then try to speedrun Portal and Portal 2. You down? 

Geoff, who’s already read the message over Gavin’s shoulder, tries to not let his pride show as he pats Gavin on the back. “I can drop you off in fifteen minutes.”

“Thanks, Geoff.” Gavin whispers. 

Maybe Gavin’s college year wouldn’t be that bad after all. If this manages to go well, then he might have a group of friends that didn't consist of his roommate and his best friend. 

that sounds lovely, michael! ill be there in under 20 min, my roomie is gonna drive me :) 

Oh cool. Just tell the cashier person you’re with Michael and Ray, we already paid for you. We’ll probably be stuffing our faces. 

Gavin knows he’ll probably be back at Griffon’s house tomorrow, so he opts to leave Smee behind and instead just grabs some of his stuff like his phone charger and wallet. “Ready Geoff?”

Geoff shakes his head fondly. “I’m the chauffeur to a British twink. What has my life come to?”

“You love me!” Gavin trills, stopping to give Griffon a quick hug before heading to Geoff’s car. The other two adults exchange looks and Griffon grins, patting Geoff on the shoulder. “He’s got you wrapped around his long ass fingers.” 

“He does,” Geoff whines, “but that’s why I gotta harass him all the time. He knows I care about him.” 

Griffon rolls her eyes and watches her boys leave. “Idiots,” she murmurs affectionately, and closes the door behind them.

* * *

True to Michael’s word, Gavin finds them “stuffing their faces” at a table when Geoff drops him off. 

“Now remember,” Geoff says in his dad voice, and Gavin sighs as he’s standing outside Geoff’s car, “if they try anything bad, always go for the groin and the eyes. A punch to the throat is also really good. If they grab you from behind, grab their fist and yank it back to shatter it.” 

“Thank you, Geoff,” Gavin grumbles. “I’m sure I’m gonna need to shatter Michael’s hand. Besides, Michael’s got a lot more muscle on him. I’m pretty sure he could just push me and I’ll go flying.”

Geoff’s eyebrows raise to his hairline. “So you were checking him out?”

The Brit squeaks and Geoff cackles as he revs the engine. “Your words, not mine! See you later, Gav. Call me if you need anything.”

Gavin flips him off as he drives away, and he heads inside to the cashier. “I’m with Michael and Ray?” He says politely, and the guy just jerks a finger at the two sitting at a table. 

Gavin makes a beeline towards them but stops short when Michael’s friend—Ray, he’s assuming—looks up with a slice of pizza halfway to his mouth. “Hey,” Ray says, setting the piece down. “So you’re the cat guy?”

Gav’s mouth drops open as Michael cracks up, looking up at him. “Sup asshole. This is Ray Narvaez Jr, my best friend in this entire place. Ray, Gavin Free, the guy who carries his cat around in his goddamn backpack.”

The two go for a quick handshake and Gavin’s relieved that his palms aren’t that sweaty. “So you play video games?” Ray asks, pushing his glasses back up his nose with the back of his hand. “You got a fav?”

“Halo and Hitman,” Gavin says instantly. Geoff made sure to school him in the art of video games while Griffon taught him everything else. “But Portal is still pretty fun too.”

He’s still standing. Ray stands up too, the two nearly meeting eye-to-eye. “Do you think you could speedrun Portal?” Ray asks seriously, eyes narrowed. “This is a test to see if you’re in our misfit friend group. You gotta answer correctly.”

It’s an easy answer, really. Gavin’s played both of them before and he gives a half-hearted shrug. “It depends. You just gotta know the patterns of the puzzles and time it. You could absolutely breeze through it but it depends on the cutscenes and boss battles. The Wheatley battle could be over in the matter of minutes if you do it properly.” 

Gavin’s startled by the Puerto Rican slapping him on the back. “YOU’RE IN!” He hollers, earning several glares from other patrons in the buffet. “Grab a fuckin’ plate of pizza dude, tonight’s gonna be crazy as fuck!”

Michael’s watching the two of them with a huge grin on his face. “You’re so fucking stupid. Get a plate, dumbass. We can tell our life stories over pepperoni and supreme.” 

There’s a quiet moment of relief between the three. From Gavin, who’s weak in the knees and grateful for his new friends that would provide fun and friendship. From Michael, who’s betting that Gavin’s going to be a breath of fresh air to their now trio. 

And Ray has a very good feeling about the whole thing, judging by the smiles from his other two friends as they stare at each other. 

He hides his grin behind his pizza as Gavin nearly trips over himself as he heads to the buffet. Idiot.


	2. of new friends and pieces starting to fall into place

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for wait; spent a month off college for winter break, and going home is even busier than college itself. 
> 
> now that spring classes start tomorrow, I should be able to write a bit more. gotta buy textbooks first though and I am incredibly broke! fun times :')

“GAVIN FUCKING FREE!”

Jeremy pokes his head out of his dorm room in time to spot a lanky guy come sprinting down the hall, giggling as he holds a towel and clothes in his arms. When he spots Jeremy, he lights up and hurries towards him.

“Hey! Big favor, can you hide me in your room?” The guy asks, grinning. “My friend’s several seconds away from killing me.”

Jeremy blinks and lets the guy in. After his roommate bailed on him over a week ago, he didn’t really get to meet anyone new. “Sure? What’d you do?”

“Stole my friend’s clothes!” The guy drops the clothes on the floor and wrinkles his nose. “We went swimmin’ at the rec center, they’ve got a lazy river but it’s NOT a lazy river. There’s a bloody current! I stepped off the step and tripped some bloke who was trying to get out. Felt kinda bad but it was really funny.”

Jeremy snickers and the guy beams at him, sitting on the other bed. “What’s your name?”

“Jeremy Dooley,” he says, and the other guy lights up. “That’s top! My name’s Gavin Free.”

Before Jeremy has the chance to say anything else, the lock clicks and there’s the sound of keys jingling. Angry mutters are heard and the door swings open to reveal the roommate that he hadn’t seen in a week. 

What’s even more surprising is the fact that Gavin squeaks, “Michael!” 

Michael Jones is staring at him and this Gavin dude, and he looks _pissed._ “What the FUCK is going on here,” he growls, and for some reason he’s in swim shorts. His curly hair is still dripping wet, and there’s a guy behind him with a purple hoodie and a beanie and he’s laughing his ass off at them. 

“Why are you in my room?” Michael snaps, looking over at Jeremy. “Did you let him in?”

“I didn’t do shit!” Jeremy defends himself. “This guy needed a place to run to and I let him stay.”

Michael huffs but turns back to Gavin, who’s still frozen. “You fucking idiot, you ran to _my own room._ I have a key to this place. That’s my roommate.” 

“Why don’t we see him around then?” Gavin asks, all wide-eyed and surprised, and Jeremy wants to reach out and give him a hug. 

Look. He knows that freshmen are annoying, and it’s admittedly kind of nice to have a room to himself. But he was at least hoping to hang out with someone before classes started. With any luck, hopefully Jeremy could make friends when university started for real. 

Michael sighs, a common noise at this point, and mumbles something that sounds like, “Didn’t feel like talking to him.” 

Gavin rolls his eyes and turns to look back at Jeremy with a huge smile. “Would you like to come eat with us?” 

“Uh,” Jeremy stammers, before the other guy clears his throat from holding their door open. “Hey fuckers, we can order a family size of chicken at that restaurant down the street if we make it in the next twenty minutes. You down, Michael’s roommate?”

“Jeremy Dooley,” he says, still trying to catch up with them. “I’d love to.”

Gavin cheers and immediately goes to grab some of Michael’s clothes, drying off in the process. “What the fuck are you doing?” Michael snaps. “That’s my hoodie.” 

“And it’s very comfortable,” Gavin counters. “C’mon, Jeremy! We can exchange numbers on the way and eat to our heart’s content since classes start tomorrow.” 

Jeremy finally smiles for the first time that day and grabs his wallet. “Sounds like a plan, Gavino.”

* * *

group chat: fuckers 

Quick question. 

Who the FUCK took my hoodie. 

my homie g 

gav was deadass the first and only person to take it 

Can absolutely confirm that 

MOTHERFUCKER 

He’s not answering his phone, I’m gonna kick his fucking ass next time I see him 

maybe that’s why he ain’t answering his phone 

cannot confirm nor deny 

BITCH 

WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU 

gotta blast 

* * *

Classes start.

Jeremy’s thrown for a whirlwind; he doesn’t quite understand the concept of being able to go home and actually take a nap, but since Michael’s dubbed him “decent enough” to stick around, he’ll arrive to find the sophomore passed out on his bed and snoring. 

He gets through his first week fairly easy and on Friday, he’s already out by 1 pm. The relaxation of settling down on his bed is unreal, but it gets disturbed by a quiet knock at the door. 

Jeremy heaves himself to his feet and yawns, sleepily going to open it. “Yeah?”

Gavin’s standing there with a bright smile but a hesitant hand at the door. “Hey Lil J! My roommate would like all of us to have dinner with him and his best friend, and I was wondering if you’re free?”

Jeremy blinks before nodding. “Sure! Michael doesn’t get home for another hour or two, and I’m not exactly sure what Ray’s schedule is. What time do you want us to be ready by?”

The Brit gives an off-hand shrug. “Maybe 6? Geoff isn’t usually on time, so somewhere around then.” 

“Alright!” Jeremy says cheerfully. “We’ll be ready by then.” 

Gavin gives a two-fingered salute and then he’s gone, headed down the hall and vanishing out of sight. 

This group of friends is…strange, but it works. Michael’s constantly angry but Jeremy only takes a week to realize that it’s how he cares about his friends. Ray’s only concerned with video games or food and doesn’t really care about anything except his friends. 

Gavin’s different. He’s weird but he means well with his strange questions and dares, and if he’s like this then Jeremy can only imagine what his roommate’s like. 

Michael gets home an hour later and promptly tosses his backpack into a corner of the room. “I’m not doing homework until I get food in my stomach,” he says simply, and Jeremy snorts from where he’s still lying down on his bed. “Good thing Gavin invited us to dinner.” 

“That idiot?” Michael says in disbelief. “He can’t even drive, he doesn’t even have a license! How’s he taking us to dinner?”

“His roommate wants to meet us.” Jeremy stares at the ceiling. “Apparently he’s got a car.”

“Oh, Gav’s mentioned him.” Michael dismisses it. “He’s a senior who spends majority of his time off-campus with his best friend, since she’s got a house close by. I don’t blame him. Must be nice, but I’m too broke to live off-campus like that.”

“So are you going to dinner?”

“Hell yeah, if someone offers I’m absolutely going!” Michael states and they both laugh. 

It’s gotten easier, Jeremy thinks. Two weeks in and his breath of freedom is much bigger than he thought. College kids don’t really care about anything else around them unless it’s a pet or food. Anything free will get their attention as well. 

And Michael’s courageous. He’s brave in a way that shows he’s done this before and he nearly knows his limits. 

As per usual, Gavin tends to push all of them. 

6 pm rolls by and the two head on outside their dorm building. Michael’s still grumbling about his stolen hoodie, and Jeremy tries not to laugh at the remembrance of watching Gavin prance around in it.

“Sup,” Ray calls out as he walks up to them. “I’m about to bring the Puerto Rican thunder to this shit. Also, I’m down for free dinner.” 

“Jesus fucking Christ, Gav, if this is how I’d meet your friends, I’m not sure how I would’ve phrased that better.” A tall guy with tattoos coating his arms walks on up with his hands in his pockets. His droopy eyes somehow fit well with his nice beard, and Gavin comes trailing alongside him. 

“That’s just Ray,” Gavin snickers. “Geoff, I’d like you to meet Michael, Jeremy, and Ray! Guys, this is Geoff, my roommate!”

Jeremy’s not gonna lie; Geoff’s kinda intimidating, and he’s automatically tensed up while staring at the senior. Even though he’s an adult too, Geoff’s…a bigger adult. 

“Sup,” Geoff drawls. “So you guys met my boy, and now you’re gonna meet me. Get in the car.”

The three follow suit, Gavin whining about embarrassing him as he sits in passenger. “There’s no need to be a prick, Geoffrey!” 

“Just looking out for you.” Geoff smirks as he ruffles Gavin’s already messy hair. He floors it before anyone has their seatbelts on and Jeremy lets out a surprised squeak from the backseat. 

They go eat pasta, and Jeremy finds himself squished next to his new friends as Gavin looks nervously on from the other side with Geoff by his side. “Where’s Griffon?” He asks, looking around in the restaurant. “Getting off work?”

“Bingo. She’s also making sure your cats are fed.” Geoff answers, barely looking at the menu.

Ray narrows his eyes. “Hold on. You have more than one cat?”

Gavin’s cheeks flush red and Geoff guffaws in his seat, Michael smiling down at the table. “He sure fucking does! Three of them too, he just carries Smee everywhere he goes.”

Jeremy, who, of course, adores his cats very much, leans forward interested. “Dude, I fucking love cats!”

The Brit beams at him and Jeremy laughs, eyes crinkling. What a nerd. 

“Sorry I’m late,” a smooth voice calls out as a girl comes into view. Their side of the table does a double-take at the heavily tattooed girl that comes on over with a blonde buzzcut and a nose piercing. She’s got some lovely muscles on her that Jeremy would kill to have. “Ziggy won me over with her eyes and I had to give her treats, and then Columbo came on over, and Smee was just glaring at me from his perch.”

Gavin and Geoff scoot over and Geoff grins. “Hey Griffon! That’s Michael, Ray, and Jeremy. They’ve befriended our dear Gav here; would you like to do the honors?”

“Of course,” Griffon says with a smile. They’re lulled into a false sense of security before she drags her nails on the tablecloth. “I care for Gavin like he’s my younger brother,” she says sweetly. “You harm him, I shatter your kneecaps.”

“Are all of you guys fucking terrifying?” Michael blurts out, eyes wide. “Gav, are you sure they’re not secret agents sent to protect you or some shit?”

Gavin, for his own credit, just shrugs. “They might be, honestly. I’ve no clue.”

With that threat in mind, they sit down and eat, and Jeremy learns a lot about everyone at the table.

Out of the two, it’s Griffon they need to be scared of. She apparently knows how to wield a chainsaw and Geoff is scared shitless of her. 

They get through dinner and Jeremy finds himself relaxed in this group, laughing and grinning at jokes they tell. Geoff’s exaggerated stories of Gavin have Michael and Jeremy in tears while Ray shakes his head with a roll of his eyes and a grin on his lips. 

When they get dropped off at the dorm, Michael and Jeremy bid them goodnight and get ready to sleep in for the weekend. “That was fun,” Jeremy comments as he changes. 

Michael barely spares him a glance as he says, “Yeah, it was. Sorry about ignoring you the first week. Not the best at meeting new people. Gavin’s helping me with that.”

Jeremy doesn’t miss the way Michael instinctively preens up at Gavin’s name and he snorts, taking the apology easily as a greeting. He’s waited his whole life for this and he’s refusing to give it up.

* * *

Ray finds the guy sleeping in the courtyard and under a tree. 

It’s not exactly uncommon, so Ray minds his own business and merely sits next to him. He takes out the sandwiches he made and focuses on playing Call of Duty on his laptop. 

There’s a stir next to him. The guy’s starting to move, murmuring to himself. He looks disorganized and exhausted, and Ray immediately feels bad for him. Hell, it’s only the third week of school at this point; maybe he’s an upperclassmen. 

“You okay dude?” Ray asks cautiously. “No offense, but you look like shit.”

The guy barks out a startled laugh and sits up, ruffling his sandy brown hair. It’s about the same shade as Gavin’s, or pretty close at least. “I can at least appreciate your honesty. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb you.”

“Nah, no worries.” Ray waves him off. “Sometimes life calls for a nap, and you gotta answer.” 

The guy’s eyes are a lovely shade of ice blue and he tilts his head, obviously intrigued by Ray. “I’m Ryan Haywood. Junior, majoring in Theatre Arts. And you?”

“Ray Narvaez Jr,” Ray grins, taking the hand. “Undecided and a sophomore.” 

Ryan’s eyebrows raise. “Undecided? Nothing fits your niche? You seem very sure of yourself, I’m surprised you haven’t found something to major in.”

Ray laughs and hands over a sandwich. “Nah, I just go with the flow! My squad deals with a few different majors, so I just kinda piggyback off of them.” 

Ryan gratefully takes the sandwich and bites into it, mulling over his answer. “I’d say that’s fair. I just knew what I wanted to do when I enrolled here so it was a pretty easy decision at the time. I currently don’t regret it, so I think I’m on the right path.” 

The two stretch out and lay on the grass, Ray glancing over at Ryan. The junior’s starting to finally relax after his frantic nap and there’s a warmth in his expression that makes Ray turn away after a moment. 

“You got a group on campus?” Ray asks, not knowing if he stayed off-campus or not. It was always tricky with upperclassmen about housing. 

“Nope.” Ryan stretches out. “I was constantly busy with school, but I do admit it’s starting to become lonely.” 

It’s quite an easy decision to make, after everything their tiny group has done in the past three weeks. Ray’s smile gets wider. “You wanna join a squad with three sophomores, a freshmen, and a senior?”

Ryan genuinely laughs out loud and his hand goes to cover his mouth. “What benefits do I get?”

“Seniority over us, and you’d be the smart one out of the group.” Ray tells him. “Michael’s reckless, Gavin’s an idiot, Geoff’s old, and Jeremy’s new. You in?”

“Of course,” Ryan says with a hand to his chest, and Ray laughs as he gets Ryan’s number and immediately proceeds to add him to their group chat.

* * *

Something about this seems so, so familiar. 

Late nights at nearby diners when class is in the morning; laughter spilling from their booth as someone (usually Michael) tries to complete a dare from someone else at the table (usually Gavin). It's even funnier when Ryan takes one look at Gavin and the Brit squeaks in shock. Ryan merely raises an eyebrow, stating, "Oh, I know you. You're the guy who tripped me in the pool." 

"I'M SO SORRY!"

It feels like that’s where they belong. Geoff sits contently and watches his charge laugh and cheer with his friends. Michael’s happy to fulfill whatever stupid thing Gavin’s having him do, and he will always puff out his chest in pride when Gavin cheers him on. 

Ray has his comfort areas in their group hangouts. He may always prefer his isolation, and finds solace in his empty dorm room, but he will admit that he enjoys hanging around the others. 

Jeremy, for his part, is so proud to be there. He cherishes his newfound friends and is grateful to be there in the first place. They create the Lads and he wears it like a badge of honor. 

And finally, Ryan. Everyone there is a breath of fresh air; he can talk about genuine “grown-up” stuff with Geoff and is able to relax around the Lads, laughing hysterically at their dumb antics. 

But something’s off. They’re missing a few other friends, they know this, and it’s only a matter of time until they’ll complete the rest of their group.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hm. still adding characters in, of course. we've still got Jack, Trevor, Alfredo, and Lindsay!


	3. of finally coming together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m headed to RTX for the first time this year! very excited, as it’s only an hour away from my home town and I’ll be able to go to my first con since 2014 :’)
> 
> If I manage to cement myself a place in this fandom by July, then I’d be happy to meet y’all in Austin!

Gavin spots the girl sitting by herself in the Commons. 

He’s taking a quick break from his usual group, heading to the lower Commons instead of upstairs where the all-you-can-eat buffet is at. He’s stock-piling snacks with Smee on his back when he sees her sitting with her laptop on the table. She keeps glancing over at someone else, and when Gavin can’t see who she’s looking at, he swipes his ID card for the food and heads on over.

He politely coughs and the girl jumps a little, closing her laptop. “Pardon me, love, but I couldn’t help but notice you staring at something.” Gavin says while sitting down and setting Smee aside. “Need any help?”

“Oh, nah.” She waves her hand dismissively, putting her laptop up. “There’s another girl over there who looks kinda sad and I was thinking about trying to cheer her up. Any ideas, dude?”

They both smile at each other and Gavin leans across the table with a hand, shaking hers. He focuses on her red-to-blonde hair and warm brown eyes and says, “Gavin Free.”

“Lindsay Tuggey!” She responds with a smile. “I can’t help but notice you’ve got a bubble cat backpack.” 

Like a child hiding a secret, Gavin brings Smee around and opens the backpack for her to see. Smee lets out a quiet meow and blinks up at Lindsay, and she does her best to stifle her gasp. “He’s beautiful! What’s his name?”

“Smee,” Gavin says proudly. “My friend is holding my other two cats off-campus.” 

There’s practically hearts glowing in Lindsay’s eyes, but she blinks them away. “You’re my new best friend. Anyways, let’s go help that girl out!”

Gavin quickly puts Smee away and the two get up, heading over to the girl who’s doing her best to wipe tears away. “Hi!” Lindsay says cheerfully as she and Gavin stand near her. “Do you mind if we sit with you?”

“Not at all,” the other girl manages as she scoots over. She looks rightfully confused but the other two know that she looks like she needs a friend. “Um, do you guys need something?”

“You looked sad,” Gavin replies, and she jolts at that. “We came to cheer you up.”

“That’s very kind of you.” The girl murmurs. She holds out her hand and Gavin immediately goes to shake it, mimicking Lindsay’s from earlier. “Jack Pattillo.” 

“Gavin Free, and that’s Lindsay Tuggey. Just met her about a minute ago.” The two give each other huge smiles before sitting down next to Jack. “So what’s up?”

Gavin’s first impression of Jack Pattillo is that she’s brave. She’s brave because when she looks up at them again, there’s a steely glare in her green eyes that could kill a man. She clenches her fists and slowly opens them, letting out a deep sigh. Her short red hair curls around her shoulders. “I got put into a boy’s dorm even though I’m a girl.”

“Oh!” Lindsay blinks. Gavin nods and immediately knows what she’s talking about; Griffon and Geoff taught him all he needed to know. _Be kind, always._ Griffon had constantly reminded him. “Did paperwork not go through?”

Jack gives him a grateful smile. “Apparently not. The gender on my birth certificate made it though, and I begged housing but there was supposedly nothing they could do.” 

“Did your roommate take it well?” Lindsay asks. She leans forward on the table and looks ready to already fight someone. “If he’s an asshole, you can absolutely stay with me if you’d like.” 

“I’m not sure, actually.” Jack looks away. “I’ve been trying to stay away from the dorm.” 

“Do you know his name?”

“Ryan Haywood,” Jack says, and Gavin lets out a very loud squeak of laughter. Both Lindsay and Jack stare at him and Gavin just bursts into a bit of giggles. What were the chances?! 

“I’m so sorry,” he barely manages, “but the odds of this are too bloody incredible! He’s my friend!” 

Lindsay snickers as well and Jack slowly lets out a breath that leaves her shuddering. “Would…would he be okay with it?”

“Jack, I assure you he would.” Gavin comforts her. They’ve gotten closer in the past few weeks, and Ryan gladly indulges him on his science talks. Gavin usually doesn’t trust certain people, but there’s something about Ryan that helps him relax and be friendly towards. “Speaking of him, my group of friends and I are headed to some fast food joint in about thirty minutes. Would you and Lindsay like to come with us?”

“Wait, really?” Lindsay chimes in, surprised as Jack. “Dude, I just met you about a couple of minutes ago. You sure they’ll be okay with this?”

Gavin shrugs, opening up his backpack to let Smee out and Jack gasps excitedly as he immediately plops into her lap. “Hello handsome!” 

“I mean, Ray brought Ryan into our group, and it turns out I’d managed to trip him in the pool and send him flailing about two weeks before that. I’m positive they’ll be fine with this.” The Brit smiles at the two of them. 

Gavin’s not particularly good at making friends, he thinks. He has a bad tendency to overstep boundaries and make weird noises and teases and tricks people but he’s got a heart of gold and fierce, unwavering loyalty. 

(He doesn’t know that Jack has already dedicated herself to protecting the two of them and she will refuse it until many months later.)

“Then yes, Gavin, I would absolutely love to get dinner with you and your friends.” Jack says firmly, giving Smee back. The cat yawns and settles back in the bubble without a care in the world. Gavin gently boops his nose before zipping it up again. 

Lindsay looks down, suddenly shy. “Am I able to go with you guys too?”

“I say yes,” Jack answers in place of Gavin. “You both have cheered up my entire day and quite possibly this week. You absolutely deserve to come with me.”

“And I think you’re both lovely!” Gavin exclaims. “C’mon, they’ll be expecting us.”

Both Lindsay and Jack stand with Gav, and the three head off chatting excitedly. He learns that Lindsay’s a sophomore like him and plans to major in Tech Comm, while Jack’s a junior and deals with Journalism. 

Gavin’s own title of University Studies with a Visual Media Concentration is a handful, so when someone asks, he just simply says, “Cinematography.” Makes it much easier. Him and Jack bond over their respective majors while Lindsay also has her love of cats. 

They all reach the fast food place with huge smiles on their faces. Michael stands to greet Gavin, but then his eyebrows raise into his hairline. “Who’s this?” 

“This is Lindsay, and that’s Jack!” Gavin proclaims. Lindsay gives him a wicked grin and Michael just blinks, Jack waving. “Alright then. New friends to the group?”

Over at the large table where everyone’s sitting, Geoff stands up so fast that his drink nearly splashes all over Ray. Ryan immediately settles it as Ray yelps, putting his phone down. “The fuck?”

Geoff ignores him and continues to stare at the extremely pretty girl that’s standing with Gavin. She’s chatting with Michael, laughing at something Gavin says, and then she turns to look over at the group. 

“Shit!” Geoff hisses, doing his best to sit down before the girl realized he was staring at her. In the process, he knocks his drink over again, and this time Ryan just places a bunch of napkins to prevent it from fully soaking Ray. 

Ray glares at Geoff before rolling his eyes and muttering something to Ryan, who just quietly laughs and refrains from repeating the curses at their oldest group member. 

“Who’s that?” Jeremy does his best to peer over the booth, but his height makes him give up after a few seconds. “Did Gav bring new people?”

“It appears so,” Ryan hums as he glances over at the group headed their way. “Two girls.”

“Like Gav could talk to a girl to save his life,” Ray mumbles from his phone. Jeremy snorts and watches as Michael clears his throat when he approaches. “So, uh, this is Lindsay and that’s Jack. Apparently Gavin somehow managed to befriend them, which is insane to think about, but they seem pretty cool.”

“Thanks dude!” Lindsay claps Michael on the shoulder and makes him jump. Everyone grins and Lindsay slides into the booth next to Jeremy. “Sup?”

“Sup!” Jeremy fist-bumps her. “You seem cool as fuck. Do you play video games?”

“If I get to wreak havoc on the competition, then absolutely.” Lindsay says solemnly, and Jeremy gasps excitedly. “I think you and I are going to be great friends.”

Next to Jeremy, Ryan waves and Ray acknowledges them with a quick nod. Geoff, sitting next to Ray, tries not to swallow as Jack sits next to him. “Hi!” Jack says with a bright smile. “Jack Pattillo. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Geoff Ramsey,” he says, and has his throat always been this dry? Where’s his sharp retorts, his cackling laughter? What the fuck. 

“I think your tattoos are really nice,” Jack informs him, and Geoff tries not to preen like a peacock. “Thanks! Your hair is pretty.”

Ryan’s shaking with laughter in the corner of Geoff’s eyesight, so he picks up a French fry and chucks it immediately at the junior. “Fuck you, Ryan!”

“Ryan?” Jack asks. Across from Geoff in the booth, Lindsay’s still chatting next to Jeremy; Gavin’s squeaking at something Michael said at the end of the table. Ryan blinks and looks up. “Yes?”

“Ryan Haywood?” Jack adds. At that, even Ray looks up. Gavin stops his conversation with Michael and looks nervously over at her. There’s a plea in his green eyes that makes Geoff look back at Jack. 

There’s a fearful look that flitters across Jack’s face before settling down. “I’m Jack Pattillo, your roommate. It’s nice to meet you.” 

_Wait, what?_

The entire table with the exception of Gavin and Lindsay blink once, twice, and then Ryan says casually, “Oh, that’s you! It’s very nice to meet you as well, Jack. I must admit, I was wondering if you would ever come by to pick up your toothbrush. Also, I, uh, might’ve lit the candles you set up. They smelled nice.” 

Jack stares at Ryan and then snickers, her hand coming up to cover her mouth. “I got them from my time at the beach.” 

Geoff shoots a look at Gavin, who stares right back and then focuses his attention on his phone. Geoff looks down in time to see the message come in.

yes she’s trans, and she’s my friend!!! 

I figured, I’m not an idiot. it’s fine dude; just caught me by surprise. she’s really pretty. 

There’s a pause, and then Geoff looks up to see Gavin’s eyes go wide and then stare at him from across the table. 

_Oh no._

Gavin fucking Free spills secrets like it’s nothing. He either spills immediately or uses it as blackmail for something he wants, and judging by the way he grins, this one is gonna be held over him like a storm cloud. 

For now, however, Geoff’s gonna sit back and watch his table come together with laughter and joy. Gavin’s brought out Smee by this point and Lindsay and Jeremy are cooing over him, Michael watching with a roll of his eyes and a fond smile on his face. 

Jack’s quickly bonding with Ryan and by extension Ray, and when she turns to Geoff with a huge smile, he can’t help but smile right back at her.

* * *

group chat: assholes 

Hey can someone come pick Gav and I up from the club 

Guess who got FUCKING WASTED on a Wednesday 

im not with yall sorry currently hanging out with ryan 

Use protection fucker we don’t need you getting chlamydia 

Michael, I can’t believe you would accuse me of deflowering innocent Ray. I am a kind gentleman, I would at least take him to dinner first. 

put ur money where ur mouth is and we’ll see 

CHRIST 

No worries Michael, I’ll be there soon! Geoff had to go check on something with Griffon. 

Jack, you are the only good in this world. 

>:O 

SHUT THE FUCK UP LINDSAY 

He’s still mad you beat him at Mario Party 

lmao 

* * *

The last members of their group come in the form of sleepovers in the library, several weeks later. 

Okay, so they’re _technically_ not allowed to do it, but it just happens sometimes. At this point, Jeremy’s resolved himself with two blankets and a pillow to try and research some old journals for an English project. 

Michael was passed out in his bed, snoring softly, so Gavin decided to join Jeremy in his quest for homework. 

Speaking of Gav, Jeremy was already used to seeing the Brit sleeping in their room. He was over so often, he had clothes that went into laundry day and his own blanket. 

He slept in Michael’s bed. No one ever said anything about it and no one wanted to. 

So with Michael asleep, Gav got bored and also didn’t want him to go by himself. So off the two went. 

It’s 2 am in the university library. There’s a decent number of students there already, which isn’t surprising. Gavin has his blanket over his shoulders as well as he follows Jeremy to the elevator and to the top floors, yawning all the while. 

Jeremy tosses his pillow onto a nearby table and pulls out a notebook, skimming through the pages. “Gav, you can go to sleep.” 

“M’not tired.” 

Jeremy glares at him before Gavin sighs and plops at the table, putting his head down. “Gonna take a snooze.”

“You do that.”

Gavin immediately goes to sleep and Jeremy goes to the stacks to search for his journals. He keeps checking titles and subjects and eventually finds a small stack of journals. The freshman piles them into his arms and heads back to the table, only to stop at the sight before him. 

In the ten minutes he’s been gone, two boys have sat at their table. Those two and Gavin are all fast asleep and snoring together, sharing Gavin’s blanket. 

The two boys look a bit similar to each other; maybe brothers? Whatever the case, they’re clearly content with sleeping next to the Brit. 

Jeremy loudly clears his throat, and all three look sleepily up. “Whazzit?” Gavin slurs. “Did someone draw on my bloody face again?”

The guy to the left of Gavin snickers, and the other one just mumbles and curls up into the blanket even more so. Jeremy’s gaze sharpens. “Gav. What happened in the time I was gone.”

At that, Gavin frowns and looks over at the other two. “Dunno. They looked cold so I offered my blanket. That’s, uh, Alfredo, and sleepy boy over here is Trevor.”

“Hi,” Alfredo waves a bit. Jeremy notes that they all look exhausted. “Jeremy, right?”

“Yeah,” Jeremy confirms. “I’m a freshman, Gavin’s a sophomore. You guys are freshmen, right?”

“Yep!” Alfredo says with a smile. Gavin’s fallen back asleep again, so now it’s just the two of them. “It’s nice to meet you dude. Sorry if Trev and I imposed; we’re roommates, and we’ve been staying up here to try and see if anyone will hang out with us.”

“Wait, really?” Jeremy blinks. “Have you guys eaten?”

Alfredo’s stomach rumbles and it seems to echo throughout the top floor of the library. They’re shocked into silence and then the other freshman sighs, looking over at Trevor. “We might be a bit hungry.”

Gavin has several pizza apps on his phone so Jeremy gets his friend’s phone and murmurs in his ear, “Gav, I’m gonna order pizza; they deliver till 3 am. Do you want anything?”

“Usual order,” Gavin mumbles. He unlocks his phone for Jeremy and promptly passes back out again. Trevor just burrows himself into Gavin’s side and Jeremy tries not to laugh as the Brit uses the other freshman as a pillow.

Pizza ordered, Jeremy manages to stick the journals into his backpack and herd his new friends down to the elevator. They somehow make it back to their dorm, where Jeremy also discovers that Alfredo and Trevor live in the same building as them. 

In the lobby, the two awake set the others on a couch to let them rest before pizza came. He learns a lot about Alfredo; how people genuinely thought him and Trevor were brothers, people’s confusion with his name (“I’m just a delicious sauce from Olive Garden”) and how him and Trevor had bonded immediately and were hoping to find somewhere to fit in. 

The pizza arrives and Jeremy goes to pay and brings back three boxes. The smell seems to revive Trevor and Gavin, who sit up and sleepily reach for a slice on instinct. 

“Well, we’ve got openings in our friend group,” Jeremy offers around a mouthful of pepperoni. “Some of us are roommates, some of us just befriended others, and we’re all pretty unique and cool people. Don’t tell Geoff I said that.”

“How many are there in the group?” Alfredo asks. 

“There’s me, Gavin, Michael, Ray, Ryan, Jack, Geoff, and Lindsay.” Jeremy rattles off. “I’m pretty sure we’ll be happy to bring you guys in! It’s your call though.”

Alfredo bites his lip and looks over at Trevor. Something in his gaze softens and then he looks back at Jeremy, nodding determinedly. “We’ll join. You guys seem fun, I’m already excited to meet the rest of y’all!”

Is this what the original members of their group felt when the others were joining? A sense of “this is right, they belong with us”? 

Whatever the case, Jeremy and Alfredo grin at each other, and exchange numbers.

* * *

When Michael eventually wakes up in the morning for his class, he has to extract himself from Gavin’s warm body. He affectionately looks down at his growing crush and then spots the pizza box on his side of the room with a piece of paper on it. Jeremy’s still passed out in his bed. 

The note reads: _Hey Michael, made new friends yesterday with Gavin yesterday! Their names are Alfredo and Trevor; seem like cool dudes. Invited them to lunch today. Hope you guys don’t mind! Had the feeling of “they’re supposed to hang out with us”, y’know? Here’s a box of pizza for ya._

Michael laughs quietly as he looks at the box, silently vowing to heat it up later. For now, he just writes out a quick response, sets it on Jeremy’s side of the room, goes to brush Gavin’s hair back from his forehead, and leaves to go to class. 

_Of course I don’t mind, idiot. It’s the same feeling we got when Gavin invited you to hang out with us. See ya later._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the wait on these; spring semester is keeping me phenomenally busy, but now we've got the whole crew finally together.
> 
> fun fact: Michael originally ignoring Jeremy, his own roommate, for a solid week is a homage to my own roommate. I haven't seen her since September and it's January, so that's how my life is going right now.


	4. of starting to break apart at the seams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy early valentine's day!
> 
> honestly had no clue it was tomorrow until my mom pointed it out. probably gonna spend it eating chick-fil-a and chocolate.

They spend all their time together after that.

There are no reputations on college campuses, but people know who they are when they go eat together. Nightly outings at certain restaurants have the servers smiling at them because they just know their place will be full of laughter that night. 

Jumping around dorms, sneaking people in after the doors for people without IDs get locked out; Geoff even invites everyone over to Griffon’s house after she says yes, and the group give so much love to Gavin’s cats. 

There are squabbles, sure. Gavin and Geoff spit insults at each other when they can’t stand the other and then make up a few days later. Jeremy and Michael sometimes argue when they can’t agree on something. 

So the group usually isn’t worried when two or three of them break apart for a small while. Everything would be alright in the end.

Until, one day, it isn’t.

* * *

It starts off like this: 

One week until Thanksgiving break, half the group is lounging in Gavin’s room and sleepily petting Smee. It’s Saturday afternoon; everyone’s dead from the past week, and even Lindsay, who’s usually their most upbeat member, is exhausted.

So Michael’s lying next to Gavin on his bed, Lindsay on the Brit’s other side, and Ryan’s snoozing on the carpet floor. Jack’s taking a nap on Geoff’s (technical) bed. 

The dorm room door gets thrown open and Geoff comes sprinting in. “WE CAN GET IN FREE AT ONE OF THE CLUBS DOWNTOWN IF WE GO SOON!” 

Michael tiredly looks up at the blurry image of Geoff and manages to croak out, “You don’t drink anymore.”

“Well, DUH. But it’s still a club!” Geoff’s bouncing on the heels of his feet. “Besides, Ryan and I can drink Diet Coke to our heart’s content.”

“I don’t go clubbing,” Ryan sleepily calls out. He rolls back over and mumbles something under his breath as Jack stirs in her spot. 

“Spoilsport,” Geoff grumbles. He looks back at Gavin’s sleeping form, and Michael knows it’s all over. Gavin fucking loves going clubbing; something about the atmosphere and music flowing through his veins. Some very poetic shit that ended up being a ramble as Gav had spiraled onto various different topics. 

On instinct, Michael rolls off the bed and lands next to Ryan. Lindsay, dead to the world, merely takes Michael’s place and curls herself around Gavin. 

Geoff’s eyes light up as he sticks his finger in his mouth and pops it back out, stalking his way over to Gav. There’s a pause as he leans over Lindsay and then promptly sticks his finger into Gavin’s ear for a perfect wet willie. 

The Brit shrieks and in turn scares the shit out of Lindsay. The two yell, waking up Jack, and Ryan sighs from his spot next to Michael.

“Wake up bitch, we’re going to the club!” Geoff yells excitedly. “We’ve got an hour and a half!”

“Christ, Geoff,” Gavin puts his hand to his chest as Lindsay gently detangles herself from him. “You’re such an arse.”

“You love me,” Geoff says automatically. “Get your ass up, fucker. Anyone else wanna go?”

Michael should’ve said no. 

Something in his chest felt wrong, like he wouldn’t want to go in the end. Something was going to go wrong but when he looked into Gavin’s bright green eyes, he found himself saying, “Yeah, sure.”

“Lovely Michael,” Gavin coos, “you’re so sweet to me. Anyone else?”

Lindsay mumbles a confirmation and Jack sighs from Geoff’s bed. “Someone’s gotta take care of you guys.” 

“Then it’s settled!” Geoff announces, ignoring Ryan who just sighs again. “Ryan, you can go hang out with Ray or Jeremy.”

“Great,” The junior says dryly. “My plans for today have already been set for me. Will do, Captain.”

Everyone eventually gets up as Geoff bounces around impatiently; Lindsay, Jack, and Ryan leave together since they all live in the same building. Geoff and Gavin start arguing about what to wear, and Michael slips out to go change and get ready. 

He doesn’t know why he’s feeling ill. 

Maybe it’s his crush on Gavin Free.

It honestly came out of nowhere; one day, Gavin had said something so stupid that Michael had barked out a startled laugh and then laughed until he cried. His joy fueled Gavin’s, and both of them were rolling around on Michael’s floor crying. 

Michael had looked up, still giggling, and immediately became breathless as he met Gavin’s bright green eyes. 

_Oh shit._

One of his best friends, the guy who brought more friends into Michael’s life, someone who never failed to make him laugh and yell. His light brown hair, lanky form, nimble fingers…

Michael had swallowed, lips slightly parting, and Gavin’s cheeks had flushed a gorgeous red. They were dead silent until Jeremy barged in yelling about food and the moment was broken. 

They both hadn’t talked about it. 

But why was he feeling nervous today? What was so special about this Saturday?

Michael tries to shake it off and continues to pull clothes out of his closet. He keeps running memories through his head; of Gavin smiling at him in the pool, their food adventures together, the gentle touches for him only, the way Gavin whispers, “Michael,” in his own bed like they’re at a sleepover and trying to stay out of sight. 

Just…Gavin Free. Michael knows there’s something between them. 

After he thinks he looks alright in a white shirt with a plaid jacket and regular jeans, he gets a text message he already knows to be Geoff. 

sup asshole, Im outside 

gav decided to go have his makeup done by lindsay and jack so he’s at their dorm 

The idea of Lindsay and Jack working their magic on an already gorgeous Gavin takes Michael’s breath away, and he responses with only a thumbs up emoji, grabbing his wallet and heading outside his building. 

Geoff’s mildly shitty car has the radio already blasting; said owner of the car is yelling lyrics at the top of his lungs, most definitely annoying the people around him. 

“Is that Queen?” Michael asks with a grin as he steps into his car. “Also, I’m impressed you’re still alive to go clubbing.”

“Haha, asshole.” The senior gives him a glare that’s empty. “Gavin and I have a tradition of playing this whenever we drive by ourselves, but we’ve decided to include the rest of y’all.”

“Thanks,” Michael says wryly. 

Geoff grins and guns the engine, making Michael yelp as they head off to their friend’s dorm. 

It’s surprisingly quiet on their campus. The streets are mostly empty as they drive, Geoff tapping on the wheel and Michael following the path of the clouds. 

“Can I stay shotgun?” The Jersey boy asks as they pull into the parking lot for Ryan’s building. “Gavin always gets this spot.”

“Sorry bud,” the elder says sympathetically. “I hate to admit it, but he’s probably always going to get shotgun. That’s just how him and I are. The only person to probably take that from him is Jack.”

“So when are you gonna ask her out?” Michael asks, and gets rewarded when Geoff’s cheeks color a deep shade of red. “Shut the fuck up.”

The main door to the building gets kicked open and both Michael and Geoff roll down their windows, staring at the group that’s emerging. 

Lindsay’s wearing a crop top and high-waisted jeans with boots. Her ombré hair is perfectly straight and flows down her back. Jack’s next to her with curly red hair, ripped shorts, and…

Geoff’s jaw drops. “Is that…a Hawaiian shirt?” 

“It sure fucking is,” Michael snickers. “She looks good though.”

Somehow, Jack’s Converse look good with her outfit and she looks incredibly proud of that.

And then Gavin struts out. 

Michael’s mouth goes dry at the black skinny jeans and open blue shirt that’s unbuttoned just enough to show off his chest. Gavin’s hair is spiked up even more so with gel, and golden jewelry glints off his body in the form of bracelets and rings. 

Ryan’s waving them off from the doorway with a smile on his face. “Be safe,” he drawls out. “Remember to always keep your eye on your drinks and stay together. Jack, keep those two in line. I trust you the most.”

“What?” Lindsay and Gavin both whine at the exact same time. Jack laughs loudly and hooks her arms through the other two’s. “C’mon, Team Losers. We’ve got a club to go to.”

Michael gets out of the car to relinquish his seat to Gavin and, for a moment, gets stunned by the golden, glittery eyeliner that makes his eyes pop. Gold blush makes his skin look even tanner, and Michael curses the Italian genes. 

“Hello love,” Gavin coos, and Geoff cackles from the driver’s seat. “Jesus Christ,” he laughs, getting out to open the door for the other two ladies. “Whose idea was it for the gold?”

Lindsay whoops as she scoots all the way to the window. “That was me! Looks good, doesn’t it?”

 _It sure fucking does,_ Michael’s mind hisses at himself. _Holy fucking shit._

“Sure,” Michael manages. “C’mon asshole, let’s go.”

Gavin beams and takes the passenger seat, looking over at Geoff as Michael sits next to Lindsay and Jack claims his other side. “Geoffrey, will you be a dear and start us off?”

“Fuck you Gavin, I’m driving.” Geoff says distantly as he waves at Ryan and drives off. Gavin huffs and reaches forward to grab Geoff’s iPhone; Michael isn’t surprised that the Brit knows his password. “It’s never stopped you before!”

It’s silent for a only a couple of seconds before the sound of piano keys start echoing through the car, and Lindsay lets out a loud gasp. “Are you shitting me?”

“Absolutely not,” Gavin laughs and turns it up. Michael realizes too late that it’s Bohemian Rhapsody before Geoff belts out, “MAMA! JUST KILLED A MAN!”

“Put a gun against his head!” Gavin somehow manages to duet. Lindsay joins in, then Jack, and Michael finally sighs as he quietly mumbles the lyrics under his breath. “Pulled my trigger now he’s dead.” 

Outside their window, the sun streaks orange across the sky. It’s barely setting; clouds of pink float through the atmosphere. It’s a beautiful day, it really is.

(Later, when everything’s gone to shit and Michael’s curled up in his bed, he’ll think of the sky at that exact moment, and proceed to throw his pillow across the room.)

It doesn’t take Geoff too long to reach downtown. For all his sharp turns, he’s a pretty good driver, so Michael isn’t worried when the nightclub looms in the distance with flashy lights strobing out the door. 

They park and get out. Gavin stretches and it looks like he belongs here in the faint glow of the club, something relaxed and excited in his posture. Lindsay stands next to him and Michael’s mouth goes dry at how they easily command attention.

Geoff, who’s obviously used to it, just strides on by and heads inside with Jack by his side. The bouncer waves everyone in and Michael (who’s tired of having to scrub black Sharpie M’s off the back of his hands) feels moderately excited. He inhales the scent of smoke and follows his group into the crowd.

Upon hitting the crowd, he immediately loses majority of his group and ends up next to Lindsay. She shouts something over the music and he just blinks. “WHAT?”

“I ASKED IF YOU’RE THE DD TONIGHT!” She shouts even louder. 

“NO, DUMBASS! GEOFF AND JACK ARE STAYING SOBER!” Michael throws his hands into the air. _Honestly._ Did she not hear Jack earlier when she said she’d take care of them?

Lindsay just bursts out laughing and grabs Michael’s cheeks, directing his attention to the bar. Two guys were frantically sliding shots of something over to Jack, and next to her, Gavin was batting his eyelashes at them. 

Oh.

“I’M GONNA GO JOIN THEM!” Lindsay yells again. She heads on over and Michael knows the three of them are a force to behold. He follows slowly behind, multicolor spotlights flashing in his vision.

This trio was known primarily for getting people’s attention. Jack’s smart and kind but fiery in her own way, and she knows how to perfect makeup so she’s always glowing. Lindsay’s chaotic nature tends to bring people around her, and Gavin’s, well, Gavin. 

From Jack’s side, Gavin springs forth to shove a margarita into Michael’s hand. “Love, drink with us!” The Brit urges. “Tomorrow’s Sunday, we can get as wasted as we want to!”

Michael nods and takes a sip of the drink, just watching his crew fuck around. His hand clenches around the drink when some guy comes up to Gavin and whispers in his ear. 

Gavin just grins and shouts something over the music before vanishing into the crowd. _Where…where is he going?_

“He’s gonna go dance with that guy!” Jack calls out over to Michael. She downs another shot and cheers, setting the shot glasses down on the bar. That’s her third one already. 

_Did I say that out loud._

“Yes, you did!” Jack shouts again. 

“C’mon Jersey boy,” Lindsay grins as she snags Michael’s arm. “I may bat for the girls’ team, but you can dance right?”

“I think so,” Michael stammers. Everything’s too much; there’s static in his veins and a nagging sensation in his heart. If Jack’s at the bar, and Lindsay’s with him, and Gavin’s somewhere in the pile of bodies, and Geoff’s…somewhere…

Then why does he feel empty?

The crowd parts, and Michael suddenly spots Gavin. He’s grinding on the guy from before, eyes fluttered shut, and the guy’s hands on his hips. Even from here, he can see the hickey forming on Gavin’s neck. 

_Oh._

Well, shit. 

Michael rips his arm out of Lindsay’s grip and ignores her surprised, “Hey!” He stalks his way through the crowd with his rage starting to light him on fire. 

Didn’t they have something together? Was he special to the Brit, or was it just his charm? Michael knew Gavin was friendly to others and typically made friends fast whether he knew it or not, but he also knew Gavin was extremely smart. Did he even know the effect he had on him…?

Apparently not, as the man’s whispering something in his ear and Gavin’s laughing. Michael’s getting closer across the dance floor; he doesn’t know exactly what he’ll do when he gets to him, but it might include delivering a Jersey style punch to the face. 

Michael doesn’t have to think about it for another second when someone grabs his arm roughly. He spins around, teeth bared and snarling, and stops short when he sees Geoff’s disappointed expression. 

“Michael,” Geoff says sadly, “you gotta let him go.”

“Fuck off, Geoff, this isn’t about you.” Michael spits. “He’s just gonna let himself be picked up like that?”

Geoff has to steer him out of the crowd and to a dark corner of the club, sighing. “Look, you’re not dating him. I know you like him, I really do. But you’re jealous and the two of you aren’t together. Gavin’s always attracted attention and you know that.” 

“Is he going to go home with him?” Michael asks, eyes stinging. “Riddle me that, Geoff.” 

“I don’t know!” Geoff throws his hands in the air. “I may be his guardian, but he’s technically an adult and he can do what he wants! I trust him, alright? If he makes the conscious decision to sleep with him, then he can damn well do so.” 

He knows he’s being petty. He absolutely knows he’s being terrible and jealous, but his hands are shaking and it’s a bit too much now. He barely manages to say, “I’m gonna call an Uber,” and leaves his friends in the neon lights of the club to go home.

* * *

Geoff Ramsey is not drunk, and he absolutely refuses to be, but he sorta wishes Ryan was with him so he could chug sodas with him to his heart’s content. 

It’s getting late and he’s already exhausted. He follows Lindsay’s flash of red hair through the crowd and manages to gently tug her away from the group she’s managed to create around herself. There’s a few half-hearted protests, but when Geoff gives her a look, she immediately gives up and goes to get Gavin. 

That leaves Geoff with Jack. 

He’s not going to deny it; spending time with Jack Pattillo over the past couple of weeks has been wonderful. She fits right in with her humor and compassion, and Geoff watches as everyone in their strange group goes to her for advice and to open up about their feelings. 

Is it so strange to have a crush on someone he’s only known for weeks?

(Well, there’s the thing with Michael and Gavin, and Griffon and him always talk about how they fit perfectly together, but that’s a whole ‘nother story.)

There’s a guy clearly trying to flirt with her as he approaches the mini bar. Jack’s lips are curled up in a smirk as she flirts back; even in her drunken state, she’s still sober enough to keep an eye on her own drink. 

Geoff slides right behind Jack and glares the guy away. With Geoff’s appearance, it’s enough to send the guy scrambling. He tries to ignore the glow of pride in his chest as he clears his throat. 

Jack sets her drink down and looks back up at Geoff, smiling sweetly. “You’re making me look taken, dear.” 

“Is that such a bad thing?” Geoff shoots back. It’s instinct, the way the words roll out of his mouth, and he mentally screams for about four seconds before he regains his senses. “Sorry to burst your flirting game Jack, but we’ve got bigger issues to deal with.”

That makes her frown and she snags a nearby water that she apparently had bought earlier. Fuck, she’s smart. “Figured something would come up,” she sighs, taking a long sip to clear her head. “I can see Lindsay dragging Gavin back over here, so I’m guessing it’s Michael.”

“Correctomundo,” Geoff shakes his head. “Jack, we gotta get our family’s shit together.” 

Fuck. Shit. That would imply he’s the dad and Jack’s the mom, he’s gotta take it back before he makes this too awkward—

“You’re right,” Jack sighs again. She finishes the water and stands up. “Let’s get their shit together, Geoff.”

Gavin’s still clearly buzzed from his current wonderful night. Geoff tosses Jack his keys; he trusts her enough to bring the car around, and that’s really saying something. Lindsay heads off with her and Geoff turns to his charge, eyebrows furrowing at the sight in front of him. 

The Brit has several hickeys all over his neck and judging from his rumpled shirt and ruffled hair, Lindsay definitely had to tug him away from someone. Gavin yawns and stretches and Geoff glares at the slowly forming handprints on his hips. 

“Who the fuck were you with, Gav?” Geoff snaps. He’s not really angry, he’s more concerned than anything in the world. “Were you being safe?”

“I was bored, Geoffrey.” Gavin pouts with glittery green eyes. “And Michael won’t notice me, and I’m a coward without drinks, and he’s brave and I love being around him and I hope he likes being around me—”

“You fucking IDIOT!” Geoff shrieks at the top of his lungs. A honk distracts the two of them; Geoff looks up to see Jack getting out of his car and hurrying over. “Geoff, go drive. I’ve got this.” She says firmly. 

Geoff doesn’t doubt her for a second so he sighs and rubs his hand down his face. Jack chooses to gently take a shocked Gavin into her arms. “Hey,” she soothes. “There’s been a big miscommunication tonight. You’re gonna have to talk to Michael when you’re sober, okay?”

“I made him angry, didn’t I.” Gavin says sadly. Even drunk he still manages to figure things out. “I…I thought he liked Lindsay…”

“You’re both incredibly stubborn people, Gav.” Jack rubs circles on Gavin’s back. “We were hoping one of you would crack first, but Michael won’t admit anything until his deathbed and we both know how you are.” 

There’s tears starting to well in Gavin’s eyes. “Oh. Oh dear. I’ve really bollocks this one up, haven’t I?”

“There’s still time to fix it, dummy.” Geoff grumbles. “This isn’t the end of the world.”

Gavin takes a shuddering breath and wipes his eyes. Geoff knows he will absolutely refuse to cry unless he has to. Gavin Free doesn't cry until he's breaking down about something that's gotten him good. (The closest Geoff has seen him to tears was when he properly adopted Ziggy after saving her from the pound.)

"Okay," Gavin whispers. "Alright. I'm going to probably throw up and go to bed. I'm really sorry for ruining tonight."

"That's not the asshole Gavin I know and love," Geoff gently nudges him. "Get in the car, stupid. You didn't ruin shit."

Lindsay's already sleeping in the backseat, head tilted back and snoring a bit. Gavin joins her seconds later. 

For a moment, Geoff and Jack sit there, staring at the mirror to watch the other two sleep. It's Jack who finally looks over at him first, something so sad in her eyes. 

"What do we do, Geoff?" She asks quietly. 

"What we do best, Jack." He promptly responds. "We stick our noses into people's business and help them with their dumbass problems." 

That earns him a genuine laugh, and the crinkles are back around her eyes. "Of course." 

Geoff starts the engine and heads back to campus. He's got a better chance of dropping everyone off at Jack and Lindsay's dorm, preferably not wanting to wake Griffon up. He's driving down the road when Jack shifts, slowly but surely, and gently slides her hand into Geoff's.

The senior thanks every star in the sky that he doesn't scream (because it genuinely scared the shit out of him) and instead squeezes her hand, hoping his palms don't go sweaty. 

Judging by Jack's smile, they definitely are. Shit. 

Geoff's phone buzzes a few times and he nods as she goes to get it. He whispers the passcode (Gavin's birthday) and ignores the affectionate look she throws him. "They're from Jeremy and Ray," she whispers. "Michael's with them in his dorm."

She reads out the messages, and Geoff's heart sinks. 

i rlly hope gavin's got a good explanation for this. 

i hope we don't have to take sides but if we do then im always going to be on michael's side. he was my best friend first. 

Hey...heard about tonight. I'm really sorry :( 

It's probably safer to keep Gav away from him for a while, I didn't know Michael's pillow held so many feathers. But I hope he's doing okay and I hope you guys are too. Trevor and Alfredo know too. 

"Can I respond?" Jack asks, and Geoff immediately nods. Better to tell them rather than wait like idiots. 

Jack creates a quick group chat with both Ray and Jeremy and sends back two messages before locking Geoff's phone, eyes fluttering shut. "You carry Lindsay and I get Gavin?"

"Yep," Geoff snorts as he pulls into North Piddle's parking lot. It's the dumbest name of all time for a dorm, honestly. (He tries to ignore the building that him, Gavin, and Ray lived in—Southeast Pimberton. Geoff honestly thinks Michael, Jeremy, Trevor, and Alfredo had the better end of the deal with Helms Deep. At least it sounded cool!)

Jack squeezes Geoff's hand before gently disentangling them, getting out when Geoff parks. She goes to Gavin's side and easily hoists him onto her back, setting off at a steady pace back to her dorm. 

Lindsay's easy to carry too; after nearly a year and a half of training to catch Gavin whenever the Brit threw himself at Geoff, it's gotten thankfully easier to carry other people. It's no effort to carry Lindsay in his arms and head on over to Jack. 

To his surprise, Ryan's still awake. They were at the club for a while; several hours had passed and it was already 1 am, so to see the junior awake was impressive. He's opened the door for Jack and manages a small smile at Geoff. "Just stay the night," he mumbles tiredly. "Not worth it driving back to Pimberton." 

"Fair enough," Geoff replies, heading to the elevator. When they get to Ryan and Jack's dorm, the door's already open and Lindsay's starting to nod back off again in fresh PJ's while in a pile on the floor. 

"We're all gonna shower in the morning," Jack whispers. "Ryan's gonna let Gavin sleep with him and Lindsay claimed the floor, so you're with me." 

Geoff's honestly too tired to even freak out so he just nods and strips out of his shirt, not noticing the way Jack's eyes widen and how the blush travels across her cheeks. He just plops on Jack's mattress and she settles next to him. "We're gonna fix this," Jack says determinedly, and Geoff pulls her to his chest and immediately goes to sleep. 

Hey boys, this is Jack. Thanks for being patient with us. I know you two are comforting Michael, and we all really appreciate that. I'm sorry about tonight. We're gonna talk to Gavin tomorrow and figure out what happened. 

Keep your heads up. I promise it'll be okay in the end. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> one of my very first stories uses the miscommunication trope, but that was two years ago and I want to see if I can write this one better. 
> 
> michael and gavin are both stubborn as fuck and can't talk to each other about feelings to save their lives. it'll be resolved, obviously, but I want to see the direction I can take this in before they talk...

**Author's Note:**

> I'm in college, they're in college, I do fun shenanigans, you see where I'm going with this


End file.
